Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

Upper division and graduate students registered in a degree-granting program at UC Berkeley who hold a reservation for residency at International House for the coming academic year or semester and hold a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Financial aid is not awarded to foreign exchange students, summer session students, extension students, or those not enrolled in UC Berkeley degree-granting programs. The following room types are eligible for financial aid:

• Bunk Bed Double
• Budget Single
• 2nd Floor Single
• Single

Larger or bay-view rooms are not eligible for I-House financial aid.

The Financial Aid application is available only as an online form linked from the instructions webpage.

Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to file a FAFSA. This must be included when you send your scholarship application required documents. Please allow at least three days for FAFSA processing. If you do not submit your FAFSA on or before the scholarship deadline, we will not be able to process your application.

You will need to gather financial data and resources on all family and personal sponsors, an expected budget for the period you will reside at I-House (academic year or semester), any expected grants or scholarships, and an unofficial transcript (to be emailed). If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will need to include the FAFSA Student Aid Report. If you are an international student, you will be required to include your I-20 with your application. 

Results are released shortly after the application deadline for each round. Round 1 (priority deadline) results are announced in mid-June, and Round 2 results are announced in early August.

If you are not selected to receive an award, our team will notify you at the time your application is reviewed, rather than waiting until after the deadline. This is to help avoid unnecessary delays and allow you to make an informed decision as early as possible.

We understand that these results are important and may significantly impact your housing decisions. We kindly ask for your patience and request that you wait for the official notification email, as we are unable to provide any information before those emails are sent.

All Gateway Fellowships and I-House Partial Room and Board Scholarships are subject to being taxed up to 30% of the award amount as required by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). I-House is required to withhold or obtain these funds to fulfill the IRS federally mandated regulations. 

Scholarships that cover qualified education expenses such as tuition, fees, and required course materials are not taxed. However, scholarships toward room and board do not qualify for tax exemption and are therefore, taxed. More information can be found here: http://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/qualified-ed-expenses

I-House employees are not tax professionals and can only provide minimal information.⁠ Consultation with a tax attorney or tax professional is strongly encouraged prior to accepting an award.

Students do not apply for Gateway Fellowships. Admitted graduate students are nominated by UC Berkeley academic units for consideration beginning in February. More information can be found here

Please refer to the Gateway Fellowships Program. 

Generally, only one graduate student is awarded a particular Gateway Fellowship.

Gateway awards are typically announced in early April, shortly afterthe final deadline.

You will be required to pay a $500 pre-payment, which is a reduced amount from the standard $1,750. This pre-payment will be refunded at check-out, provided there are no outstanding balances on your account.